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How to Have Sticky Ideas
The name of your idea is just as important as the argument behind it.
In venture capital, ideas are currency.
But having great ideas isn't enough. Those insights need to spread.
Take memes, for example.
The context embedded in a meme you can consume in half a second is absurd - they compress the maximum context into minimum space, and, as a result can move markets or even elect presidents.
The same principle applies to fund theses and market insights - the more efficiently you can package an idea without losing fidelity, the faster and further it travels.
The Power of Concision
Most VC communications fail before they're finished - because they never get finished. The 3,000-word thought piece sits in drafts or comprehensive market analysis that is half-complete.
The antidote is radical concision.
The best sentence is short.
We often confuse complexity with sophistication. We use industry jargon, multi-clause sentences, and elaborate explanations to signal our expertise.
There is something about complexity that makes you think you’re smart - but often it's a burden on readers who already have limited attention.
In January we worked with a PE fund to rewrite their entire thesis page using this principle, replacing sentences averaging 30 words with ones averaging 12.
Comprehension (measured through follow-up questions on existing portcos) improved by 50%.
More words and longer sentences = more room for confusion.
Name Your Ideas
When we collapse our thinking into a memorable phrase or framework, we give our ideas the best possible chance to spread beyond our immediate network.
The name of your idea is just as important as the argument behind it.
Think about the staying power of concepts like:
"Software is eating the world" (Marc Andreessen)
"Founder-Market Fit" (Tom Wilson)
"The J Curve" (NFX)
"Make Something People Want" (YC)
These named concepts become part of the industry's vocabulary, permanently associated with the individuals and firms that popularised them.
While such sticky manifestos aren't always necessary, they represent an opportunity for funds to build brands through media and messaging - particularly for European VCs looking to follow America's lead.
Several UK VCs have already recognised this opportunity, using their theses as marketing manifestos rather than dry investment criteria. Many of these are small ECF-backed funds, so can be more nimble - but the approach is one larger firms could easily adapt and amplify.
For example - a fund we worked with distilled their decision making approach into a concept called SCALE. This acronym worked to outline their specific approach to evaluating companies.
Within months, founders were referencing it in pitch meetings.

Simple ideas travel easily
Ideas can work in reverse too.
Take this example by Balaji Srinivasan, his book The Network State is a great example - Distill from a book to an essay, to a paragraph, to a sentence, to a title:
Write for the 98%
One of the most powerful creative blockers for VCs is the fear that peers will find their ideas basic. This leads to either silence or over-complexity - both of which limit your impact.
Write for the 98% who don't get it, not the 2% who already do.
Remember that you're further ahead in thinking about your specific investment areas than just about everyone.
What seems obvious to you is revelatory to most founders, operators, and even other investors (more on that idea here).
When we position our writing as ‘in service’ to this broader audience, it gives us the confidence to press 'send' on ideas we might otherwise keep to ourselves.
Putting It Into Practice: Three Techniques
The Brevity Challenge - Take a recent investment memo or thesis document and cut its word count in half while preserving its core insights. Then cut it in half again. This exercise forces clarity.
The Naming Workshop - Identify your three most distinctive investing principles. Brainstorm potential names for each. Test them with founders by asking … "If you heard this term, would you want me to explain it?"
The Jargon Detector - Have someone outside your industry read your content. Ask them to highlight every term they don't immediately understand. Replace these with simpler language.
The Spread Factor
The ultimate measure of your communication is spread. The simpler the idea the more chance it has to spread.
Ideas that spread work for you while you sleep, attracting the right founders, educating your ecosystem, and establishing your distinctive perspective.
Laurie, Refinery Media
If you made it all the way through, thanks so much for reading! A few hundred VCs now open this every week. If it’s helped you think differently about marketing, Venture, or storytelling, please send it to someone in your orbit.